Mail-carrying apparatus.



PATENTED NOV. is, 1906.

' H. B; HALL. MAIL CARRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 313.20, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 14 2/91 meow THE NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, 0. cl

Nagssmw. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

.. H.E.HALL.

MAIL CARRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 53.20. 1906.

2 SH EETSSHEET g.

11-: meals PETERS co, WASHINGTON, .1 c.

HARRY E. HALL, OF GREENFIELD, OHIO;

MAIL-CARRYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. is, 1906.

Application filed February 20, 1906. Serial No. 302,146.

1'0 ML w/wm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY E. HALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenfield, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-CarryingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention embodies novel carrying apparatus particularly designedfor use in rural districts for conveying mail to a dwelling from adistant point of deposit of such mail. As is well known, mail-boxes arecustomarily used in rural places to receive the mail distributed by thecarrier, and this makes it necessary for persons to whom the mail isaddressed to go from a dwelling to the box which is locatednear the roadand which is usually some distance away from such dwelling. The above isdisadvantageous for obvious reasons; and the object of this invention isto do away with the necessity of going to the trouble and inconvenienceincident to this method of gettlng mail, the carrying apparatuscomprising the invention being designed to operate be tween the point ofdeposit of the mail and the dwelling or other place to convey the mailto the latter.

The invention resides mainly in the peculiar form of the carrier, themotor mechanism em ployed therefor, the means for governing theoperation of such mechanism, and other details of construction whichwill appear more fully hereinafter.

For. a full description of the invention and the merits thereof, andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the meansfor effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following desorition and the accompanying drawings, in w ich Figure 1 is a view showingan apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view showing the arrangement of the parts of one of thetrains of gearing and the connection thereof with the drive-shaft. Fig.3 is a vertical sectional view bringing out more clearly the construction of the hanger, having the auxiliary driveshaft, which is connectedwith one of the trolley-wheels for actuation thereof. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectional view of the end-of the carrier having the operatingmechanisms therein. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the mechanism shownin Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view, partially in section and partially inelevation, showing the brake mechanism more clearly.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a modification of the brake or stoppingmechanism.

Corresponding and like parts'are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Generally speaking, it is contemplated to provide a track running fromthe point of de osit of the mail at the roadside, fence, or ot ier placeto the dwelling at which such mail should be received. The track isindicated at 1 and may be supported by suitable supporting-posts 2 atintervals in its length, brackets 3 being attached to the upper ends ofsaid supporting-posts to support said track 1. The track 1 is preferablyof wire. Arranged to travel on the track 1 is the carrier 4, which maybe of any suitable shape, and composes a receptacle having a door 5admitting of insertion of the mail into the carrier. The carrier isconnected with the track 1 by means of hangers 6 and 7, each of saidhangers having a trolley-wheel mounted thereon to travel along thetrack 1. The trolley-wheel of the hanger 7 is indicated at 8 and ispreferably roughened at its grooved peripheral portion. The wire fromwhich the track 1 is made is also preferably provided with a roughenedsurface by winding a finer wire transversely thereabout throughout itslength, the traction between the trolley- Wheel 8 and the track 1 beingmaterially increased in this way. The wheel 8 is powerdriven, and forthis purpose a motor is arranged within the body of the carrier 4, saidmotor comprising a suitable frame 9, in which are mounted motor-springs10, each adapted to operate a suitable train of gears. The trains ofgearing operated by the springs 10 include gear-wheels 11 and 12, thegear- 5 wheel 1 1 being arranged in a horizontal plane somewhat lowerthan that in which the wheel 12 is mounted.

Arranged between the gears 11 and 12 is a vertical drive-shaft 13,having a drive-gear 14 mounted thereon, said drive-shaft 13 beingvertically movable and having a sliding or loose connection with anauxiliary vertical shaft 15 in vertical alinement therewith. Theconnection between the shafts 13 and 15 is established by means ofproviding a square socket 16 at the lower end of shaft 15, the upper endof shaft 13 being squared, as shown at 17, to enter the socket 16 toestablish a rotative connection between the two shafts ITO 13 and 15,though the shaft13 may be raised and lowered to cause the gear 14 tomesh with either of the gears 11 and 12. The gears 11 and 12 areoperated in reverse directions by means of the respective springs 10, towhich they are connected, and this ad mits of reversal of the directionof rotation of the shaft 13 by moving the same to cause the gear 14 tomesh with one or the other of the gears 11 and 12, as necessary. Thelower end of the shaft 13 is engaged by an adjustable member 18, whichis pivoted to the under side of the carrier 4 and is adapted by movementthereof to adjust the shaft 13 vertically. The upper end of shaft 15 hasa bevel-pinion 19 applied thereto, the teeth of which engage beveledteeth 20 on one side of the trolley-wheel 8, and when the shaft 13 isactuated motion is transmitted therefrom to the trolley-wheel 8, so asto drive the latter in either direction, and thereby actuate the carrier4 back and forth on the track 1. The carrier 4 is guided in its movementon the track 1 by a guide member 21, of approximately U form, which ispivotally connected with the carrier and is pendent from the under sidethereof. The sides of the guide member 21 receive a guide rail or wire22 therebetween, and the action of the member 21 is obvious. The pivotalmounting of the member 21 is advantageous in that said member mayreadily pass over extensions at the lower portions of the brackets 3,which extensions are provided to support the guid erail 22. When theextensions of the brackets 3 strike the member 21., the latter tilts ormoves pivotally until it is carried over the extension by the onwardmovement of the carrier 4.

Suitable brake mechanism is provided in order to stop motor mechanismwithin the carrier as said carrier approaches the opposite ends of thetrack 1. This brake mech anism includes a brake-rod 23, projectingthrough a vertical opening in the bottom of the carrier 4, so that itsupper end. may engage with a roughened surface on the under side of thegear 24, one of which is directly operated by each spring 10. The rod 23is connected at its lower end to a spring 25, attached to the under sideof the carrier 4, said spring being operable by a trigger 26 to effectvertical movement of the rod 23 to engage and disengage the same fromthe member 24, with which it operates. When the carrier is in motion,the trigger 26 is normally in a vertical position, but is adapted to betripped by an arm 27, carried by a post or other suitable support andlocated in the path of movement of the trigger, but some distance froman end of the track 1.

Describing the actual operation of the invention, it will be seen thatwhen the operator desires to cause travel of the carrier over the track1 it is only necessary to grasp the trigger 26 and throw it into avertical position, when by adjustment of the member 18 the shaft 13 willbe moved to cause the gear 14 to engage one of the gears 11 and 12,which is now rotating. The driver or gear 19 will thus be actuated inthe proper direction by the motor mechanism and the revolution of thetrolley-wheel 8 will positively actuate the carrier 4 on the track 1. Asthe carrier 4 approaches its destination or the end of the track uponwhich it is advancing the arm 27 engages the vertically-arranged trigger26 and, tripping the same, forces it downwardly toward the bottom ofthecarrier 4, this permitting the spring to force the rod 23 against theunder side of the gear 24, included in the train of gears connected withone of the gears 11 and 12the one which is rotating. As soon as themember 23 engages the gear 24 said gear is stopped in its revolution,though the gear-wheels in the train connected therewith may still rotateby reason of the ratchet connection usually provided in gearing of thisclass. Power will be shut off in this way automatically, and the carrierwill reach the end of the track through the impetus of its movementduring the operation of the motor mechanism. The reverse movement of thecarrier 4 is effected by simply releasing one of the gears 24 andconnecting the shaft 13 by adjustment of the member 18 with the desiredgear-wheel 11 and 12, so as to run the wheel 8 in the direction whichwill cause the carrier to travel toward that end of the track 1 at whichit is desired to stop the same.

It will be understood that each of the wheels 24 will have a brakedevice" to co6perate therewith, an arm 27 being located near oppositeends of the track 1 to cooperate with a respective one of the brakedevices aforesaid.

'In Fig. 7 a modification of the stopping mechanism is shown in whichthe springs 25 will be arranged longitudinally upon the under side ofthe carrier, being of substantially the same construction ashereinbefore described. The trigger or tripping member of each spring25, however, is different and consists of a lever 30, pivoted at itsupper end to the under side of the carrier and having a projectionextending laterally therefrom intermediate of its ends to engage withthe member 25 so as to hold said member 25 in such a position that itsrod or extension 23 is not in contact with the gear 24. When the leveris tripped, however, it is caused to assume a position fiat against theunder side of the carrier, and thus admits of proper cooperation of theparts 23 and 24.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Incarrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier arranged totravel thereon, a motor for the carrier embodying independentreversely-operable drive mechanisms, and a driver for the carrierarranged for connection with either of said mechanisms as specified.

2. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier arrangedto travel thereon, a motor for the carrier embodying inde pendentreversely-operable drive mechanisms, a trolley-wheel supporting thecarrier, a driver for said trolley-wheel, and means for connecting thedriver with either of the operating mechanisms aforesaid to propel thecarrier in either of opposite directions.

3. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier arrangedto travel thereon, a motor for the carrier embodying independentreversely-operable drive mechanisms, a trolley-wheel supporting thecarrier, a driver embodying a drive-shaft, and means for adjusting saidshaft to connect the same with either of the operating mechanisms topropel the carrier in either of opposite directions.

4. 'In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier adaptedto travel over said track, a motor for said carrier embodyingindependently-operable trains of gearing, a driver for the carrierarranged for connection to either of said trains of gearing, and meansfor operating said trains of gearing in reverse directions.

5. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier adaptedto travel over said track, a motor for said carrier embodyingindependently-operable trains of gearing, a driver for the carrierembodying a driveshaft, 'a drive-gear mounted on said driveshaft andarranged for connection with either of the trains of gearing aforesaid,and means for actuating said trains of gearing in reverse directions.

6. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier adaptedto travel over said track, a motor for said carrier embodyingindependently-operable trains of gearing, a driver for the carrierarranged for connection to either of said trains of gearing, means foroperating said trains of gearing in reverse directions, and brake meansfor the trains of gearing.

7. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier arrangedto travel thereon, a motor for the carrier embodying independentreversely-operable drive mechanisms, a driver for the carrier arrangedfor connection with either of said mechanisms as specified, andautomatically-operable brake means for each of the operating mechanisms.

8. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier adaptedto travel thereover, a motor for the carrier comprising independentreversely-actuated operating mechanisms to effect propulsion of saidcarrier, and means for automatically braking each of said mechanisms asthe carrier approaches opposite extremities of its movement.

9. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier adaptedto travel thereon, trolley-wheels supporting said carrier on the track,a guide-wire for the carrier, and a guide member pivoted to the carrierfor move ment about an axis transverse to the line of movement of thecarrier and coacting with the guide-wire as specified.

10. In carrier apparatus, the combination of a track, a carrier adaptedto travel thereover, trolley-wheels supporting the carrier on the track,a guide-wire below the carrier and parallel with the track, and a guidemember of U shape pivoted at its upper end to the carrier for movementabout an axis transverse to the line of movement thereof, the oppositesides of the guide member being arranged upon opposite sides of theguide-wire for cooperation as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. HARRY E.'HALL. [L. 5.]

